Aviendha and Elayne in the Palace

By Linda

This post is a celebration of the Thirteenth Depository’s 2.5 millionth page view this week.

In Crossroads of Twilight, Elayne and Aviendha dressed for a series of audiences. When Elayne asked, Aviendha selected a royal outfit:

For someone just doing a favor, she pored over the clothes that Essande pulled out with a great deal of interest before deciding on a dark blue velvet slashed with green, and a silver net to catch her hair. They were her clothes, made for her, but since reaching Caemlyn she had avoided them as if they were crawling with death’s-head spiders. Stroking the sleeves, she hesitated as if she might change her mind, but finally she let Naris do up the tiny pearl buttons.
She declined Elayne’s offer of emeralds that would have suited the gown admirably, keeping her silver snowflake necklace and heavy ivory bracelet, but at the last minute she did pin the amber turtle to her shoulder…
Or maybe it was Aviendha’s horn-hilted knife, which she tucked behind her green velvet belt…
Rasoria gave a start when Aviendha entered the anteroom in her high-necked velvets. The Guardswomen had never seen her in anything but Aiel garb before.

Crossroads of Twilight, High Seats

Andoran women’s clothing tends to the Elizabethan, with square or high necklines, slashing and full sleeves. While she was attaining the crown Elayne was determined to make a statement, so everything they wore was very high status.

Aiel shifts are probably made of the same algode fabric as their blouses, but mainland nobility have silk shifts, which real world nobility would not have had - they would have worn the more comfortable and practical linen. I made Aviendha a teal-coloured silk shift (see photo right). It is sleeveless because I haven’t designed a good long-sleeved shift yet. It’s a task for 2015. The main problem is that the dolls don’t have compressible hands. Aviendha’s shift is embroidered with single feather stitch at neck and hem and trimmed with ivory silk lace at the hem.

Her petticoat is teal silk dupion with an embroidered border at hem and waistband in blue and green silk (stitches from bottom up: squared Palestrina knot, chain, straight, chevron, French knots, chain, detached chain) and navy silk lace (see photos below). The laces and fabrics I use are often vintage. The waistband is closed with button and loop.

Knowing Aviendha’s feelings about low-cut clothing, it’s not surprising she chose a high-necked gown in dark blue. Its fabric-silk velvet-is very expensive, more than Elayne’s. I cut it in the Elizabethan style with a very fitted V-shaped bodice and sleeve slashes. I modelled the skirt slashes, which real world western clothing did not have due to their impracticability and difficulty in sitting right, on the slashes in doublets of the time photo right). I embroidered it with silk buttonhole threads (stiches: back stitch, French knots, cross stitch, detached chain) and pearl and silver beads (see photos below, the dress front is on the left and the back on the right). Velvet is difficult to sew because it marks easily and more or less permanently. Beads were a popular trim on Elizabethan dresses and doublets. The dress is lined with green satin and dupion silk and has hook and eye closures at the back – and the line of pearl beads mentioned in the text. With the dress is a green velvet belt with silver buckle.

For jewellery, Aviendha wore her ivory bracelet and silver snowflake necklace and carried the turtle angreal. Her hair was constrained by a silver net (called a caul back then). I made two styles.

Finally, she has ivory silk stockings and navy blue shoes.

Elayne’s outfit was also sumptuous, though not described in detail:

“Essande, the green silk with the sapphires, I think. And sapphires for my hair, too. The large sapphires”…
The white-haired woman made sure that Elayne wore a small dagger with sapphires on the scabbard and pommel, hanging from a belt of woven gold.

Crossroads of Twilight, High Seats

Elayne’s shift as made of light green silk with cream vintage tatted lace (see photo above right). Her petticoat was of avocado green silk dupion embroidered with purple lilies and green leaves in satin and split back stitch outlined in couched gold thread in an authentic style of the early 1600s. I embroidered a braid-like border of chain and straight stitch in light green silk. The petticoat is closed with a button and loop, and is trimmed with gold and silk braid (see photos below).

Elayne’s square-necked Elizabethan-style dress is in bright green silk dupion lined with deep cornflower blue habutai silk. The dress is be-jewelled with dark blue beads surrounded by gold beads. The sleeves are slashed and the sleeve wings have rows of gold and blue beads. Trimming the cuffs and hem is blue and gold braid (see photos below). The dress is closed at the back with buttons and loops. To complete the dress is a gold belt. I have not yet made Elayne’s dagger and scabbard to hang from it - another task for 2015 – but I have made her necklace of sapphires in a golden setting.

Finally, Elayne has ivory stockings (see shift photo above) and dark cornflower blue shoes.

Here are some photos of Elayne and Aviendha in Elayne’s apartments. They have not quite finished dressing - Elayne has not had the sapphires added to her hair yet and Aviendha is not wearing her turtle angreal (which I have made).